A moment in life
by Staz
Summary: Snapshots of Harm and Mac's life
1. Restricted

Disclaimer: Not mine. No infringement intended.

Author's note: Just a moment out of life. My (very short) answer to the HBX November Challenge. I might take another shot at said life with the December lines.. we'll see.

On a more personal note – It's been a while, and I think my English has deteriorated (I blame the schizophrenia), so my apologies in advance for the mistakes and the plainness.

-----

"Breathe for me, Mac."

Holding on tightly to the railing, taking breaths as deep as she could manage, Mac gasped, "I... can't..."

From his vantage point, three steps ahead of her, Harm looked down with an amused expression. "Don't tell me this is hard for you, Marine."

Mac fixed him with her best glare. "Save it, Navy." She was breathing normally again. "This is all your fault anyways." She resumed climbing the stairs and this time he stayed alongside her.

"My fault??"

"Yes. I should have known that even if you move, your bad karma would follow you and even in a brand new, state of the art building in the good part of town, the elevator wouldn't work..."

Harm laughed out loud at that. "The lengths you go to, to not admit you're outta shape..." He opened the door to the floor while bracing himself for retaliation at his words.

A slap to his arm was soon followed by an outraged, "I am not out of shape!" and more heavy breathing. He just laughed and opened the apartment door. Taking his coat off, he helped Mac with hers even as she continued glaring. "I'm in a very particular shape, if you want to be specific." Her tone of voice made him look down to see if she stomped her foot while talking.

"A very beautiful shape." He whispered, taking her in, in form-fitting civvies. From the slight downward movement of her head, he knew she had heard him.

He went into the kitchen to make them some tea, while she settled down on the couch. It was a regular pattern by now, as was his moving back into the room to watch her while the water boiled.

She sat at the corner of the couch, her legs resting on the coffee table, her hands on her stomach. It was becoming a familiar sight, and a very comforting one. He loved watching her when she was unaware. He thought that by now she'd be on to him, but she seemed oblivious. He smiled.

He was so lost in thought he almost missed her whispered words "A very pregnant shape."

He had to agree.

It was then he noticed the slight frown. She couldn't be...? It was time to come out of the shadows.

"A very *beautiful* pregnant shape." He came to sit next to her. Mac looked up at him with a doubtful look.

"Harm. I'm huge. I can't see my toes anymore... and I can't even climb up the freaking stairs, my lungs are so restricted!" She huffed an irritated breath.

Harm moved quickly to place two hands on both sides of her very round stomach. "Shhh! Mac! She'll think you're blaming her!" He gave her a full blown grin from close range, in an attempt to blind.

Mac deflated and answered with a smile, running her hand through his hair in a loving caress. Her hand wove into one of his, covering a particular spot and they both felt a small ripple. "You've got a point, Harm. She kicks me in the ribs when she's in a good mood; I don't want to know what she'll do if she's upset with me."

He shook his head and drew her in for a slow kiss. "I love you, Mac." He bent down and delivered a noisy kiss next to their joined hands. "And I love you too, baby girl. Now, stop giving your Mama a hard time, alright? Making her switch to maternity uniforms was bad enough." He directed the last comment at his wife with a wink.

Mac chuckled and tapped his nose. "We love you right back, flyboy." As an afterthought, she added, "but you better make sure that elevator's working soon or we just might find ourselves a better place to stay."

With a fake gasp, Harm gathered her close into his arms and growled in her ear "You'll never get away!"

His arms enveloped her, but his head was bent in a posture he'd adopted lately – his head on her chest and his hands around her, watching their little girl as she rested in Mac's belly. A few moments later his head raised and wondering eyes caught hers. "Your heart is racing..."

She faltered for a moment, the heat of the moment slowing her thoughts. "Nerves I guess..."

A grin split his face. "So, I still make your heart race, huh?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. Her bubbling laughter was soon swallowed in a deep kiss that threatened to leave her breathless. His touch never failed to ignite her. His hand in her hair and his lips against hers did indeed have her heart beating double-time and the rest of her aching for him.

Suddenly, his lips were at her ear. "By the way, I bought a house." It took precious seconds for the fog to clear and the words to settle. Seconds Harm used to bring his lips back to hers in order to increase the fog.

Seems some words have fog-clearing ability. "Harm!!!"

-----

End.


	2. Three down

Disclaimer: don't even own a house, don't sue.

Author's note: thanks to a boring day at Uni and a slow shift at work – here's my answer to the December lines of the HBX Challenge. Another moment out of life.

All mistakes are mine.

-----

Harm walked into the room and smiled softly at Mac, lying on the bed. He came to sit next to her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. As he leaned back, Mac looked at him closely.

"You look tired." She observed.

"So do you." He retorted and she rolled her eyes.

"Well, 20 hours of labor will do that..."

All traces of teasing melted away from his expression and a brand new light shone in his eyes. "She's so beautiful, Mac." The wonder in his voice warmed her to the core.

"She is, isn't she?"

"And she's so small..." Mac could sense the worries creeping in.

In the past months Harm went postal making sure their house was baby-proof. He constantly worried about the crib and its safety as well as the rest of the designated room and the rest of the house. Not that she didn't share his concern, but she was a little more focused on the actual birth... and everything that could go wrong with that.

She changed tactics. "And yet she's already got you wrapped around her finger."

Harm snapped out of his thoughts and grinned down at her. "Worried she'll take your place, jarhead?"

She twinkled at him through a yawn that overtook her, then ruffled his hair affectionately. "Nah, I'm pretty sure I can snap you back to me at will." She tossed in a seductive wink for affect.

Playing right along, he brought their faces nose to nose. "Really?" He drawled.

For a brief second they both paused and Mac flicked her gaze to the door. It was times like these in public places that people tended to barge in on them and make them both turn different shades of red. Either Bud was looking for them or some petty officer had a message or any other unbelievably badly-timed entrance. A second later, when it became obvious no one was coming, they re-focused.

Mac closed her eyes, reveling in the comforting, familiar closeness of the two of them. With the tip of her finger she gently traced the outline of his ear. She took in his deep sigh, the warmth of his body next to hers, the smell that was uniquely his and something in her heart eased.

"We made it." Her soul lifted and floated in the air.

Harm stilled for a moment, before his lips touched hers. He kissed her slowly, methodically. First his lips to hers, tasting them with his tongue, then going beyond to caress her tongue with his. He finished the kiss with a long touch of his lips against hers and then drew back just enough to look her in the eyes.

When she finally opened them, they were glistening with unshed tears.

"You said that on our wedding night." He searched her eyes.

"I felt the same way then." His eyes squinted a bit.

"And the first night we spent in our new house."

"Then too." He detected a slight wariness in her, and answered with a soft touch of his thumb against her cheek. A gesture of comfort.

He gave her a minute to realize she didn't need to raise her guard. Two years of marriage had taught him to give her space when she needed it. Well.. actually, it was Mac that stated it rather bluntly at one time and if he had one thing it was a good memory. He learned to recognize the words in her body language and waited till she spelled 'Green light'.

Once the light turned, he leaned for a short kiss before getting back to his previous point.

"So... how many more do we have?"

She paused in thought, but it didn't seem like she was wondering as to his meaning, or contemplating whether she should answer. It looked like she was counting. He held his breath.

"A little boy, 25th wedding anniversary, our kids getting married, our kids having kids, 50th wedding anniversary and aging well and together." Her voice was as soft and as fragile as a cobweb in its first dawn's dew.

If at all possible, he fell deeper in love with the woman before him.

"A little boy, huh?" His eyes strayed to the place that until not too long ago had housed their little baby girl and his heart swelled with pride.

Mac shone back at him. "My looks, your brains, remember?"

As if he could forget. He nodded confirmation all the same.

"I love you, Mac." Words weren't adequate to describe what he was feeling at that moment, but he had a feeling she knew just how much lay beyond those banal three words. He saw it in her eyes reflected back at him.

"I love you, Harm." He knew too.

Six moments to go, she thought to herself, with millions of moments in between. Only millions. Just a few million.

Harm leaned down to kiss Mac.

They cherished the moment.

-----

End.


End file.
